One Piercing Infected - Let Both Close Up?

August 1, 2021 2:11 PM

Last night I realized both of my newish piercings (earlobes) are slightly infected. I took the earring out of my left ear since it was the most irritated and today the hole is healed over enough that I don't want to push it. Should I take my other earring out, too?

Two months ago I got my ears re-pierced by an expensive but well reviewed piercing artist. Both lobes hurt and itched for weeks right away, but the woman assured me this was normal. Fast forward to yesterday and it's clear my left earlobe has been slightly infected for some time and is now bleeding and oozing some green pus. The other lobe was doing the same thing last week. I've taken the earring out and now I'm wondering if I should do both and let them heal over for a few months before getting them pierced again. Advice, please?

posted by Hermione Granger to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

Are the posts truly hypo-allergenic? Greenish sounds like corrosion from a post.
Do you have any stainless steel posts you can use?

Wash and disinfect your earlobes: alcohol will work. Clean the hypoallergenic posts, dry them, dip them in betadine or povidone/iodine ointment as a lube, and slip them back in. Repeat daily, and look for improvement in the next two or three days.

I suggest that iodine based antiseptic to avoid the contact allergy sensitization associated with some conventional antibiotics.
posted by the Real Dan at 2:22 PM on August 1, 2021 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Sorry to reply so quickly but I had stainless steel posts from the start and my understanding is that they can have a little nickel in them which can cause reactions in someone who is extra sensitive to nickel. The pus is sort of a yellow gray green. Unfortunately I cannot get a post in to the ear without an earring right now without using a lot of force. The exit hole in the back of the lobe has sort of disappeared behind a little scab.
posted by Hermione Granger at 2:25 PM on August 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Make sure that your ears aren't sensitive to the posts. It may just be an allergic reaction, not an infection.
posted by kschang at 2:30 PM on August 1, 2021 [5 favorites]

If the one hole is fine (no reactions, you like the placement) there’s not reason to take it out unless you want to
posted by raccoon409 at 2:52 PM on August 1, 2021 [2 favorites]

This sounds like nickel allergy to me. Try switching earrings and doing what the Real Dan said.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:58 PM on August 1, 2021

I'd soak the piercing in some warm mildly salty saltwater, made using sea salt (not iodized, not saline solution for contacts). Do this 3-4x/day for a couple minutes each time until the infection quiets down.

Then, soak the piercing in hot water whenever you're in the shower (you can just do this by cupping your hand against the side of your head to hold water, though I suppose you could also fill up a cup and dip your head sideways. Whichever will get you to do it more often!)
posted by knucklebones at 2:59 PM on August 1, 2021 [2 favorites]

Can you get gold earrings? Just basic studs? I have had my ears repierced multiple times over sensitivity and rehealing and the only metals during the piercing/infection stage that I could tolerate were surgical titanium and gold. Gold hoops worn for about six months ($40) finally made my piercings stable. With my other cheap earrings I have six hours to wear before the irritation is too much. I have heard clear nail polish over the metal pokey bits helps.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 3:37 PM on August 1, 2021 [6 favorites]

I don't know why this works: I used to crush up uncoated Tylenol, mix with enough water to form a thick paste, slather that on a piercing infection site (including the jewelry), cover it with a bandaid and wait a few hours. Then rinse off the dried crust in the shower. This method always took away the swelling and infection. I have sensitive skin but never had any allergic reactions to stainless steel piercing jewelry.
posted by cranberrymonger at 4:37 PM on August 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Don’t get gold unless you’re sure you’re not sensitive to gold. Gold is known for causing contact dermatitis.
posted by toodleydoodley at 6:33 PM on August 1, 2021

IANApiercer but my lobes are really sensitive and get these kinds of crusties really easily. If the second one is doing okay for now, leave it be, do salt water soaks as knucklebones describes and go back to your piercer for help with the infected one. They should be able to clean it and give you advice, and probably re-insert jewelry now. It can be dangerous to let an infected piercing heal over because you can get an abscess, so if you’re not able to go back to your piercer, follow knucklebones’ advice above for cleaning it, and try to keep an eye on it to make sure it’s healing from the inside out (not scanning over and leaving the inside unhealed).

If you react to surgical stainless steel, I would ask about titanium jewelry next time around.
posted by assenav at 6:54 PM on August 1, 2021 [5 favorites]